Duplicating attachment for typewriters



July 21, 1936. T. H. CLARKSON-JONES 2,048,183

DUPLICATING ATTACHMENT FQR TYPEWRITERS Filed Dec. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IMVENTEIR July 21, 1936. T. H. CLARKSON-JONES DUPLICATING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Dec. 14; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATY Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DUPLICATING ATTACHLIENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Application December 14, 1933, Serial No. 702,304

3 Claims.

This invention relates to devices employed to take the place of the usual sheets of carbon paper in duplicating typewritten copies, and particularly to that form in which a strip of transfer material is carried by a thin frame supported on the side frames of a typewriter. With such devices asat present arranged it is only possible to use a narrow band, or, at most, two out of the whole width of the strip. Further there is always left unused the transfer material of the strip which falls between successive letters or words. My object therefore is to devise means for utilizing a very much larger proportion of the transfer material of the strip than is now possible, thus increasing the useful life of a strip.

1 attain my object by so supporting the frame carrying a transfer strip that it is simultaneous- 1y movable both longitudinally and transversely of the typewriter platen by means actuated by the platen or platen turning mechanism of the typewriter, the movement being stepwise and reversing each time the predetermined limit of movement in one direction or another is reached.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one form of the device, partly broken away, and showing parts of a typewriter;

Fig. 2 a plan view of parts of the same;

Fig. 3 a plan view of parts of the typewriter concerned with the invention;

Fig. 4 a detail in side elevation of parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a detail in plan of a modification;

Figs. 6 and 7 sectional plan views showing the construction of a transfer slip and its connection to a duplicator frame;

Fig. 8 a front elevation of a second modification;

Fig. 9 a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 10 a front elevation, broken away, of parts of a typewriter and duplicator frame illustrating means for causing a movement of the frame 45 in one direction to also actuate it in a direction at right angles to the first;

Fig. 11 a front elevation of a third modification:v

Fig. 12 a side elevation of the same;

50 Fig. 13 a detail of the right and left hand threaded screw shown in Figs. 11 and 12 and the parts connected therewith.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difierent fi ures.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, I is part of the frame of a-typewriter and 2 the platen thereof. 3 is a duplicator frame of thin metal, which is of U-form, and to the lower ends of which are secured the ends of the 5 transfer slip 4. This transfer slip may be a narrow typewriter ribbon, but is preferably formed of a strip of ordinary carbon paper. This strip is shown in plan in Figs. 6 and 7, from which it will be seen that the ends of the slip are thick-- 10 ened so that the ends slightly spread the sheets of paper between which the strip is interleaved so as to relieve pressure on the thinner active part of the strip to prevent it being dragged when the paper is shifted relative thereto in preparation 15 for the duplicating of a fresh line of the copy.

The frame 3 is supported on the supports 5. which are connected with the frame of the typewriter at each end. These supports carry the pins or rollers 6, which project through diagonal 20 slots I formed in the frame 3.

From the construction described it follows that, if the frame I be pushed either endwise or vertically, the transfer slip 4 will be shifted slmultaneously endwise and vertically. To effect such a movement of the frame 3 I provide the cam II, which cam is pivoted on the bracket I ll secured to the typewriter frame. Rotatable with the cam is the ratchet wheel l2, with which engages the pawl l4 pivoted on the slide l3, which is suitably guided on the bracket Ill. The cam ll enga'ges one end of the frame 3, so that as the cam is rotated the frame is pushed endwise to the limit of the throw of the cam. The frame at the same time moves up and down, as herein- 5 before referred to.

The slide I3 is provided with the depending fork i 5, which engages the slide 8, which is a part'of the typewriter mechanism in common use for imparting a stepwise rotary movement to the 40 platen. This slide is actuated by the lever 9 when the operator desires to shift the platen to start a fresh line of typing. Consequently, every time the platen is operated the cam is rotated a distance equal to one or more teeth of the ratchet wheel I2 and a stepwise rotary movement is thus imparted to the cam, which, in turn, imparts a stepwise movement to the frame 3, and thence to the transverse slip 4. By this means the transverse slip is so moved that practically every part of its active surface may be utilized for duplicating purposes.

w l gravity may be employed to effect the return movement of the frame 3, I prefer to employ a flat bent spring l6 connected to the typewriter frame at one end, which spring tends to maintain the frame 3 in its extreme left-hand position, which is, of course, also its lowest posiplaten 2. The cam is journaled in a slide l1 pov sitioned within a housing formed by the bracket lo This slide is'guided by the fork i8 formed at its lower end which embraces the spindle of the platen, and also by the stem I!) which passes through the top of the housing I 0". A coil spring engages the slide I1 and the top of the housing Ill and serves to press the cam into close contact with the platen. A frame holder 20 is connected with the slide l1 and serves to support one or more frames 3, as indicated in Fig. 9. The frame or frames, when in place, are held in position by the pivoted latch 2|, which may be swung from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 9 to a position to release the frame. One complete set of the parts just described is employed at each end of the platen, sothat the frame 3 is simultaneously lifted at each end. The simultaneous endwise movement of the frame 3 may either be by means such as shown in Fig. l or by such means as are illustrated in Fig. 10.

It will be notedthat an inclined plane 23 is formed on one end of the duplicator frame 3 and an opposed inclined plane 24 on a part secured to the typewriter frame I. As the parts ride up and down over one another, when the frame 3 is moved up and down. the frame is moved. endwise, the movement to the left being imparted by the fiat bent spring l6 secured to the opposite side of the typewriter frame I and bearing against the frame while the movement to the right is caused by the downward riding of the surface 23 over the surface 24.

In Figs. 11 and 12 a further modification is shown. In this form also the primary movement imparted to the frame is up and down and the endwise movement may be arranged for either as by the inclined slots and pins of Fig. l or by the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 10 previously described; In the present modification a frame 28 is secured to the typewriter and in it is journaled the screw-20, which is formed with a rightand-left hand reversing thread of known type adapted to actuate the slide 21. To the lower end of the spindle of the screw is secured the pinion 28 which bears against the end of the platen 2 so that the screw is rotated as the platentums. As will be readily understood, the continued rotary movement of the screw imparts a rectilinear reciprocating movement to the slide 21 through the medium of the. iournalled pin 26. To the slide 21 is secured the frame holder 20, provided with the latch l'l, these parts being similar 'to those hereinbefore described with references to Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings. One of these devices is necessarily employed at each end of the platen.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised apparatus which will satisfactorily attain the objects of my invention as set out in the preamble to the specification.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a typewriter provided with a platen of a frame carrying a transfer strip; inclined guiding'means for the said frame such that an endwise movement of the frame is accompanied by a movement transversely of the platen; a cam rotatably mounted on the typewriter and bearing against the frame for effecting such motion; and means for effecting a stepwise rotary movement of the said cam comprising a ratchet wheel adapted to rotate the cam, a

slide, and 'a pawl carried by the slide and engaging the ratchet.

2. The combination with a typewriter provided with a platen of a frame carrying a transferstrip; inclined guiding means for the said frame such that-an endwise movement of the frame is acaccompanied by a movement transversely of the platen; means on the typewriter for effecting such motion; and a spring tending to return said frame to its initial position.

THOMAS H. CLARKSON-J ONES.

companied by a movement transversely of the v 

